Your bathroom plays an important role in your house, which is why it’s one of the first rooms people remodel (along with the kitchen). It’s a place that needs to be hygienic, since it’s where you, your family, and guests will clean up, and it’s a room nearly every guest will visit at some point in their stay at your house.
If your bathroom is old, bland, or otherwise unpleasant, it can completely change how you (and your guests) come to see your home. Fortunately, there are several ways you can update the bathroom to make a better impression.
Choosing Your Budget and Approach
Your bathroom options are practically limitless, so your first job is narrowing down your range of options. For example, how much are you willing to spend? A full bathroom remodel can cost between $9,600 and $11,000, with high-end remodels costing more than $20,000. However, it’s possible to upgrade some of your fixtures and accessories, breathing life into the room, for as little as a few hundred dollars.
Additionally, you’ll need to consider how you want to approach the update. If you have some DIY skills, you may consider doing the work yourself. If you do, you could save some money and have the satisfaction of knowing you did this by your own hand.
However, plumbing, electrical, and other installations in the bathroom can be difficult (or even dangerous) to install, so you’re usually better off working with a bathroom renovation company. You might pay a bit more than you would with a DIY renovation, but you’ll be assured the work will be done right.
Updating the Plumbing Features
One of the biggest and most impactful changes you can make is updating the major plumbing fixtures in the bathroom—in other words, your shower, bath, toilet, and sink. Replacing a shower or bath isn’t usually something an amateur can do, and it will likely cost a few thousand dollars.
However, swapping out a toilet or bathroom sink may be quicker, less expensive jobs—and ones that can dramatically change how your bathroom looks. Home service direct can help you find the best companies for this project.
Redoing the Floor
Another high-intensity change is replacing the floor of the bathroom, since in some cases it requires removing some of the core fixtures, and in others, you’ll need to rip up the existing floor.
Still, you should be able to replace the entire floor for between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars, depending on your setup.
Changing the Vanity
Changing the bathroom vanity, or the fixtures surrounding the vanity, is a project that can be finished in the span of a day, and can provide a major overhaul to your bathroom’s appearance. In some cases, the sink will be directly attached, which will require a more intensive installation process. In others, the installation will be much simpler.
You may also wish to update the backsplash behind the vanity, or the mirror that (probably) rests above it.
Painting
Painting any room of your home comes with a high return on investment (ROI). Paint doesn’t cost much, even if you get high-quality materials, and it doesn’t take much time to paint a smaller room, like a bathroom.
Not only will a fresh coat of paint make the room more valuable and attractive to potential buyers, it can also completely change your feelings and impressions when walking in—whether you’re the homeowner, or a guest visiting the home for the first time.
Updating the Lighting
You can also make the bathroom look newer, cleaner, and/or more inviting by updating the lighting. Installing brighter lighting, more sophisticated lighting, or lighting in the right spots can completely change the appearance and mood of the room.
Consider installing bright LED bulbs, pointed at the most compelling features of the room, or unique lighting fixtures that add character to the room. You’ll be amazed at what a difference they can make.
Replacing Towels, Washcloths, and Mats
One of the lowest-cost ways to update the appearance of your bathroom is to update some of the less expensive, yet prominent features in the room. For example, your towels, washcloths, bath mats, and shower curtain can all be quickly and easily replaced. Choose a color or pattern that fits your intended mood well, and invest in higher-quality goods, so they last longer and make a better impression.
While the average bathroom renovation costs in the tens of thousands of dollars, you don’t need to spend that much to give your bland bathroom a powerful overhaul. Depending on the state of your current bathroom, you may be able to completely change how it’s perceived with just a handful of minor updates. For many homeowners, it amounts to a quick shopping trip to the home improvement store and a weekend of making changes.
Great article. Usually the budget for a bathroom upgrade should be approximately 2% to 3% of the current value of the property. We use that as a rule of thumb in Australia.